Removable splash guard and mounting therefor in waste grinding structures



March 19, 1957 H. JORDAN 2,785,864 REMOVABLE SPLASH GUARD AND MOUNTING THEREFOR IN WASTE GRINDING STRUCTURES Filed Aug. 9, 1954 3? FIG. 1-

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Ihmws, [(1501, 17057272 & Ham/5 United States Patent 1T REMOVABLE SPLASH GUARD AND MOUNT- lNG THEREFGR 1N WASTE GRINDENG STRUCTURES Hans Jordan, Los Angeles, (Iaiifi, assignor to Given Machinery Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a partnership Application August 9, 1954, Serial No. 443,692

5 Claims. (Cl. 241-1005) This invention relates to waste disposal devices such as are now commonly employed at the discharge outlets of kitchen sinks and into which culinary waste is washed down the sink or introduced by the human hand, and in which disposal devices waste is ground by a motor-driven rotary grinder for flushing with water to the sewer system.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my earlier applications Serial No. 248,002, filed September 24, 1951, now Patent No. 2,730,308, and Serial No. 351,270, filed April 27, 1953.

The principal object or this invention is to provide a novel and especially useful splash guard for installation at the upper or inlet end of a housing of a garbage grinder or other kindred waste disposal device of the indicated type suspended from the under side of a kitchen sink.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a splash guard in replaceable form so that it may be renewed or removed as required.

Since a splash guard according to this invention is used to prevent the splashing of water and particles of waste undergoing grinding so that the splashing material may not pass upward from the grinding chamber into the sink from which the device is suspended, and since such splash guard must a.so pass large pieces of unground waste and must also, at times, permit passage of the human hand to manipulate large pieces of waste, it is a further object of this invention to provide a splash guard which is yieldable to permit such passage, without the necessity for removing the guard from its position adjacent the upper end of the disposal device by which it is carried.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a splash guard capable of passing large pieces of unground waste having a central opening which is small enough to be closed by flushing water flowing from the sink into the grinding chamber of the device, whereby further to block oil splash and whereby also to prevent the passage of grinding noises upward through the opening in the splash guard.

It is additionally an object of the invention to combine a splash guard of the indicated nature with resilient means which suspends the disposal device under tension from the under side of the sink on which the structure is installed, it being additionally an object to position such splash guard so that it is replaceably carried by the aforesaid resilient suspending means.

Other objects of the invention and various features thereof will become apparent to those skilled in this art upon reference to the following specification md the accompanying drawing wherein certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view showing one form of the present improvement instmed in position at the upper end of a garbage grinder housing which, together with its contained grinding mechanism, is suspended at the under side of the usual outlet of a conventional kitchen sink;

movable splash guard of the present improvement whichis rigidified at its periphery, as by an embedded spring wire, so as to render the removable guard quite secure against unintentional removal and render its installation relatively permanent;

Fig. 6 shows the guard of Fig. 5 mounted in the same relationship as the guard of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 shows the splash guard of Fig. 3 mounted in a similar but specifically different relationship.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the present improvement as being carried at the upper end of a garbage grinder housing which includes a lower motor-containing shell 2i and an upper casing 21 which is provided with a reduced, upstanding receiving neck 22, such housing containing a grind ring 23 and a turntable 24 driven by a motor within the shell 29 and having movable grinding heads 25 which co-operate with grinding lugs 26 fixed on the inner annular face of the grind ring 23.

In the specific illustration of Fig. 1 the grind ring 23 is held down on a seat in the casing 21 through the medium or" a ring 27 cushioned at 27a and which is in effect an extension of the ring 23 and co-operates with the passage through the receiving neck 22 to provide a throat leading to the comminuting chamber within the grind ring 23 and above the turntable 24. Comminuted waste is discharged from below the turntable 24 through a connection 28 leading from the shell 20 to a waste conduit 29.

As also illustrated, the grinder housing is suspended by way of its receiving neck 22, from the bottom 30 of a conventional kitchen sink through the medium of a metallic supporting discharge sleeve 32 provided at its upper end with an outwardly extending flange 33 borne upon a tapered seat 34 of the sink bottom. The sleeve 32 extends through a corresponding opening in the sink bottom 30 and a surrounding depending short neck 39a integral with the sink bottom. The lower end of the sleeve 32 is threaded as indicated at 35 to receive a rigid internaily'threadedannular connecting ring 36 which may be metallic and is shown as having a short upstanding hub 36a that bears against the under side of a metal washer 37 which in turn bears against the under side of a cushioning or sealing washer 38 of rubber or other preferably compressible material forced up into engagement with the mentioned short neck 30a by turning the connecting ring 36 snugly up into binding position. Projecting radially from the connecting ring 3% at a plurality of points, which may be in practice three in number, are attachment ears 3612 whose function is presently to be described.

Underlying the connecting ring 36, and engaged therewith, is a depending resilient rubber or similar suspension ring 40 which is attached at its upper end to the ring 36 and at its lower end to the top of the annular receiving neck 22, the ring 40 thus being placed under tension by the weight of the grinder housing and the grinder mechanism therewithin. The suspension ring 4% is held in position up against the under side of the connecting ring 36 through the medium of headed screws or bolts 42 which preferably are also threaded into the mentioned attachment ears 36b. The lower ends of the bolts 4-2 receive washers 43 to be retained in set positions by nuts 44 on the lower ends of the bolts. The inner edge of each of these washers 43 engages with outwardly projecting portions of a steel or other metallic ring 45 which is embedded and vulcanized in the resilient rubber suspension ring 49. In the form shown, the ring 45 is L- shaped in cross section. The upturned portion of the L mayjherefore serve as means to limit compression of the upper portion of the suspension ring 40 lying be tween the connecting ring 36 and the transverse portion of the ring 45. The outer portion of each of the washers 43 engages against a depending lowermost end portion of a flange member or lug 46 integral with the respective attachment ear 36!), whereby to limit upward movement of the respective washer 43 which may have an outermost upturned anchoring lip 43a. To insure good sealing contact of the top of the rubber suspension ring 40 with the under side of the connecting ring 36, the latter may be provided with an annular downwardly directed groove which receives an upstanding annular bead 45a of the suspension ring 40. Thus, a good seal is provided by tightening of the nuts 44 against the washers 43 and through engagement of the latter with under portions of the supporting ring 45, the depending lugs or flange members 46 co-operating with the washers 43 to limit com pression and thereby avoid taking all of the resilience out of the compressed upper portion of the suspension ring 40.

In order properly to compress the rubber washer 38 between the bottom of the sink and the underlying washer 37, the heads of the respective bolts or screws 42 may be raised by application of a wrench to back the screws out as required.

In the form illustrated, the lower end of the resilient suspension ring 40 is provided with an integral annular outwardly extending flange 47 having annular grooves or re-entrant portions which receive corresponding annular rings or beads 48 or other projections at the top of the neck 22 of the grinder housing to enter such reentrant portions. A permanent bond may be effected by vulcanizing such lower annular edge of the suspension ring 40 to the upper annular edge of the neck 22 of the housing, or a snap ring or crimped ring 50 may be used, or both instrumentalities may be employed. The ring 50 has an upper overhanging flange portion 51 that is inwardly directed to engage the upper surface of the lower or flange portion 47 of the resilient suspension ring 40, and the ring 50 also has an inwardly and upwardly curved under portion 52 which is to be snapped under or crimped under annular shoulder or bead portions 53 integral with the housing neck 22.

By the above means the lower end of the resilient suspension ring 44) is fixedly attached to the upper end of the housingneck 22, and the upper end of the resilient suspension ring 40 is firmly retained against the under side of the connecting ring 36 which is firmly threaded on the lower end of the metallic combined supporting and discharge sleeve 32 carried by the sink bottom 30.

In a preferred form such as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the resilient tensioned suspension ring 40 carries a splash guard which is in the form of an inwardly directed, downwardly sloping antisplash diaphragm 54 that is radially slit at a plurality of points as'indicated at 55, these slits extending to a small central opening 56 providing for the ready passage of water. This slitting thus results in several yieldable fingers between the slits 55 and provides for the ready introduction of much larger pieces of waste material than the diameter of the opening 56, while at the same time providing for the passage of the human hand into the structure should that be necessary. As to the size of the diameter of the opening 56, this is preferably approximately one-tenth or one-eighth of the diameter of the throat through the sleeve 32 and the neck 22, as a consequence of which this central opening '6 is'substantially closed by water fed from the sink 30 into the grinding chamber during grinding operations.

As also illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the antisplash diaphragm 54 is removably carried by the inner Wall of the suspension ring 40. Such removability is 'efiected by providing in the inner Wall of the ring 40, an, inwardly directed annular channel which acts as a retention seat and receives a circumferential head or thickened rim 58 that is integral with the diaphragm 54 and is thus disposed between upper and lower annular positioning and supporting shoulders 59 at the opposing sides of the channel. Thus, such riniSSTniaybe more or less readily removed from the described channel as required, and more or less readily snapped back into thechannel as required. This bead or rim '58 may, if desired, be sub stantially reinforced with a spring wire 60 somewhat as indicated in Fig. 5.1 This wire may be molded in place in the rim of the diaphragm 54 or it may be snapped through an inwardly directed slit or passage 61 molded in the structure when initiallyformed. However, since tough rubber is used which, even though slittecl as illustrated in Figs. 1 and '2, will maintain the position of such figures, a metallic reinforcement in the rim is not essential, especially if the annular channel or pocket receiving the circumferential bead 58 of the diaphragm is of reasonable depth and of adequate fit. Consequently, the splash guard or antisplash diaphragm 54 such as seen in Fig. 1 may berelatively easily removed from the installed position shown and equally easily restored, and will be effectually retained in use merely by snapping the rim or head 58 into position in the annular recess or channel between the opposing shoulders 59, as shown.

Whereas an antisplash diaphragm 54 mounted in a moderately deep recess or channel when unreinforced as seen in Fig. l, or such diaphragm having a rein-forcing wire 60 and mounted in a relatively shallow channel as seen in Fig. 5, is a desirable construction, it is nevertheless practicable to vary the nature of the mounting of such diaphragm so that it may be carried on a somewhat different supporting shoulder portion of the esilient suspension ring as illustrated in Fig. 3. Here the suspension ring diia, which is somewhat dilterently constructed and is mounted on the top of the receiving neck 22 in a manner somewhat different from that of Fig. 1, has an inwardly directed shoulder 65 that underlies and is slightly spaced from the lower end of the supporting sleeve 32 carried by the bottom of the sink. The inward projection of the shoulder 65 is of such degree that it cooperates with an inturned annular stopper-receiving seat 66 integral with the sleeve 32 as shown in the various figures. Thus, a rather deep pocket is formed by the overhanging stopper seat 66 and the underlying annular shoulder 65 of Fig. 3, which adequately receives, supports and positions the circumferential head 58 of the diaphragm 54. The mentioned seat 66 receives, when desired, any appropriate form of stopper 68 as seen in Fig. l.

The pocketing arrangement of Fig. 3 may be closely approximated where the suspension ring 4% seen in Fig. 4 initially possessed an integral antisplash diaphragm 70. Here, the diaphragm 7%,having become worn or damaged for any reason and no longer sufiiciently serviceable, may be cut out with a sharp knife, as indicated in Fig. 4, thereby leaving the same underlying supporting shoulder 65 that is illustrated also in Fig. 3. Thereupon, the

diaphragm 54 of Fig. 1 or Fig. 3 may have its mounting bead 58 snapped into position in the channel provided between the underlying shoulder 65 and the'overlying stopper seat66 as above described. Or, the diaphragm 70 may be retained and the new diaphragm 54 installed above it and seated in the same position on the shoulder 65 as though the diaphragm 70 had been cut away. Also, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the wire reinforced diaphragm of Fig. 5 may be used in the relationships of Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

Thus the present invention extends to mountings of the nature indicated byFigs. 3, 4 and 6 as well as the mountings of Figs. 1,2 and 5. Additionally, the aspect of Figs. 3 to 6 may sometimes be extended to a situation such as indicated inFig. 7 where the original diaphragm is held by having a rim element thereof clamped in position directly between the ring 36 and the top of the neck 22. Here, the body portion of the diaphragm is cut away to leave an annular shelf-like portion 75 which acts as a seat corresponding with the seat 65 of Figs. 3 and 6, an integral rim element 76, which is clamped between the ring 36 and the neck 22, remaining undisturbed. Thereupon, any of the new splash guards or diaphragms of the other figures is fitted into place between the stopper seat 66 and the shelf-like seat portion 75 of the old diaphragm. Any appropriate means bind the ring 36 and the neck 22 together.

It is intended to cover all such modifications as fall Within the scope of the patent claims.

I claim as my invention:

1, In combination in suspension means for a waste disposal device: a resilient ring for connection with the upper end of a Waste disposal structure and with the bottom of a kitchen sink, said ring having an annular seat provided on its inner Wall for supporting an antisplash diaphragm; and an antisplash diaphragm having an outer peripheral portion removably disposed on said seat.

' 2. A combination as in claim 1 wherein said diaphragm is of flexible material having passage means therethrough and yieldable for passage of large pieces of -waste and of the human hand and having the property of returning substantially to an original splash-interrupting position.

3. A combination as in claim 1 wherein said seat is defined by an annular recess receiving said outer periph- 'eral portion. e 1

4. A combination as in claim 1 wherein said diaphragm is provided with an opening near its center for normally freely passing water therethrough and small enough to be closed by a normal flow of water passing from said sink to said disposal device during grinding operations.

5. In combination in suspension means for a waste disposal device: a resilient suspension ring having means at its upper end for attachment to the bottom of a kitchen sink about a discharge opening thereof and means at its lower end for attachment to the upper, inlet end or" said disposal device, said ring having inwardly directed means providing supporting and positioning means; and a separable antisplash diaphragm having provision for passage of waste and water therethrough and having a circumferential rim possessing substantial rigidity positioned on said supporting and positioning means to be retained thereon during passage of water and waste, said rim also being deformable without rupture for removal from said supporting and positioning means and for replacement thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,948,211 Fritz Feb. 20, 1934 2,220,729 Powers Nov. 5, 1940 2,267,085 Dezendorf Dec. 23, 1941 2,573,213 Miller Oct. 30, 195i 

